A Light in the Dark
by Isah Underhill
Summary: When the eyes can burn into the soul there are no masks that can hide your true self. Prompts from the Outlaw Queen Week "Masked Ball" and "Getting Caught" (cover by the amazing @starscythe)
1. Chapter 1

"May I have this dance, milady?" a strong accented voice asks to her left.

Regina turns to face the owner of said voice and is met with a dark green mask which carries intricate embellishments in gold. But all the beauty of the accessory is quickly forgotten when Regina's set of brown eyes land on the man's bright blue. Bright, young, eager, _good_, Regina finds it astounding how she can read so much only by locking her eyes on his. He steals her breath away with the intensity of his gaze. She cannot not help but gasp and bring one hand protectively toward her chest; she cannot believe this small exchange stirred so much in her.

She apparently spends too much time reading his eyes and forgets to answer his request. Regina can see the dimples disappear as the man wets his lips before they become a thin line, "Milady?" he tried again, this time extending one hand in her direction.

"I-" she tries, bringing her hand up so he can take it but quickly withdrawing it out of fear, stone cold fear, "It's your ma-" she starts again, fisting her daring hand at her side, but _no_, she does not want him to know who she is, as soon as people learn of her title, everything changes. Finally, Regina is able to put together a complete sentence to give to the now confused looking – and good looking, _very_ good looking – man, "I don't dance, forgive me."

His lips twist into a smirk that makes Regina's heart beat a tad faster as he replies, "I just cannot bring myself to believe that milady-"his hand is still extended, still inviting, his eyes so vibrant, "-I caught you swaying your hips by yourself just a few minutes ago."

"I beg your pardon?" Regina's eyes widen through her soft blue mask, which Snow had picked out, as she had picked out Regina's entire outfit, "Were you spying on me?" she tries to sound indignant because she knows that is how she is supposed to feel, but deep inside she is intrigued, he had noticed her.

"I prefer the term _admiring_," he retreats his hand to run it through his dirty blonde hair, "Milady, if you will allow me to be so bold, I found it quite difficult to take my eyes off of you." He says in all earnest, offering her a true smile, which Regina fights not to reciprocate.

She is conflicted, does not know how to respond to such flattery, because this man is probably one of the very first people in a long time to truly compliment her, without any sort of agenda.

_It is ridiculous_, for all she knows, he can indeed have an agenda, know exactly who she is. He can be playing her, laughing inwardly at her naivetés. But somehow Regina is certain his words are truthful, there is something about the depth of his blue eyes, the sincerity of his smile, that assures her he is being honest.

Regina finally manages to reply in true confusion, "What do you mean?" the smallest of smiles sneaks its way on her lips without her consent.

He gives her a hearty laugh that makes heart skip a beat and answers, "It means you are the most captivating and yet mysterious woman I have ever laid my eyes on." He takes one single step in her direction - they still stand in a respectful distance about two feet away from each other– and tilts his head to the side, she can see he is frowning even though his mask covers most of his forehead. He continues, "But I also sensed in my _innocent_ observation that you did not seem to be enjoying yourself too much-" his voice is low, his words meant only for her ears, "-and I just figured all you needed was a dance to send away the sad aura about you."

Regina gives a dry laugh to his observations, "Unfortunately my troubles cannot be swayed away by a simple waltz" Regina then notices her arms have come around her belly protectively at some point of this odd conversation.

"A walk perhaps, then?" Regina detects both his hands are now clasped together behind his back, he does not seem as confident as before, probably due to her very non cordial responses to his perfectly agreeable compliments. Maybe mother had been right, maybe she was just not meant for love or compassion, already too dry, too damaged for human kindness, maybe she did deserve-

"I know this castle like the back of my hand-" he continues, snapping her out of her depressing thoughts, "-please milady, let me show you around, try to rouse your spirits somehow." His hands are still behind his back but his smile is so true and sincere, his eyes shone with hope and Regina is no longer able to resist the pull.

"Alright," she gives him, which results in the brightening of his smile. Something she did not think possible happens then; her lips give away and reciprocate the gesture, not as brightly –she does not think she has the capacity of smiling so beautifully – but in earnest anyway, "Lead the way" she gestures with her hand towards the crowd they are amidst of.

"This way then milady," his hands have not left his back but his eyes are fixed on her, even as he leads the way away from the busy ballroom into a large corridor in which some guests converse.

They walk side by side for a few minutes wordlessly, only the sound of their footsteps and the noise of the burning flames of lit torches breaking the silence. Her hands grasp the fabrics of her skirts in order for her not to trip over it, but in truth no such thing is really necessary; she wants to find something to do with her hands since her fingers ache to touch _his_.

Regina knows this situation is utterly absurd, she hardly knows this man and yet her heart beats faster in her chest whenever he would look her way. She does not even know-

"Ahm-" she breaks the silence, "I'm afraid I do not know your name"

He chuckles, his hands still grasped behind his back – _is he not going to try to reach for her hand again?_ Regina feels a chill at the thought that he wouldn't, that she had scared away any possibility of him wanting to reach out for her – and responds, "That is true," as if he has been reading her thoughts, his hands leave his back and he pinches the bridge of his nose, "I do not know yours either."

"Well-" Regina tries, she is feeling giddy, but rather reluctant in revealing her identity. There is an odd kind of comfort in wearing her mask, which keeps away her miserable reality, "are you not going to at least tell me your given name?"

He stops abruptly and turns his body to face her - they had been walking a good while and left most of the guests behind them – he extends his hand again, this time palm facing to the side, as if he wants to shake her hand and says, "Robin, my given name is Robin" he motions with his hand towards her.

Without thinking, Regina takes it and squeezes, smiling as his lips open up in a surprised grin and says, "Regina, I'm Regina"

He squeezes her hand back as they shake on it, on this absurdly casual acquaintance they are making, no titles, no lands, no possessions, just themselves. Regina is saddened by the fact that she had been wearing gloves hence she cannot not feel his skin against hers, but even through the fabric it feels intense and wonderful. He then turns her hand and brings her cloth covered knuckles to his lips, giving her a small kiss there. Something that is common, happened most of the times a lady would get introduced to a lord. But when performed by _him_, steals her breath away, has Regina releasing a very soft gasp.

When his ears pick up the gasping sound, he immediately removes her hand from his lips and Regina misses the warmth of them instantly.

"I'm sorry, lady Regina, I-" he tries, his hand still holds on to hers though.

She squeezes his hand in reassurance, "There is no matter, I don't-" she cannot not find her words, he is frowning again. Maybe he is uncertain again, maybe he is going to walk away… No, Regina cannot not have that, "Please, it's just Regina, no lady required" she takes an unconscious step towards him and sees him gulp, maybe she is making him uneasy, she lets go of his hand then and completes, "I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing."

She clenches her fists as she looks down at her feet, terrified of the response that is to come.

"Neither do I, actually-" she hears humor in his voice and looks up, "I came to this ball tonight with a very different objective in mind," he is smiling again, it warms her heart, "But I must say, I would trade all of it for just one more minute with you."

Regina is flattered, her cheeks have grown hot, "Don't say that, you hardly know me at all-"

"I know, it seems strange but-" they start walking again, this time their pace is much slower, her hands have long forgotten about her skirts, "-I look at you and I see so much, I see brightness and darkness, they mingle together and create that lovely color to your eyes."

Regina immediately breaks eye contact with him facing ahead, not wanting to bare her soul to him, not wanting him to see the real darkness inside her. They have stopped again; this is a much darker section of the castle, with several doorless passageways which lead to stairs that lead up and down. He takes her chin in his hand and brings her features to face him once more. His blue eyes, more intense than ever, lock with her widened brown.

"They are like an open book to me, I can see you are sad and so very lonely, but I can see hope and joyfulness." He is getting closer, too close for comfort. All Regina wants to do was close the distance between their lips and discover how this caring man's lips taste like. But she is afraid, so very afraid, of consequences, of her life, of her anger, she cannot not, their heads are so close-

"I'm married" she blunts out halting his movements, he removes his fingers from her chin - they had left a burning trail on her skin - and clears his throat taking two steps back.

"I'm so sorry milady-" his hands are back on his behind back – _No_! Regina's mind screams at her, she wants those hands warm upon her skin – "-I have over stepped my-" he stutters, "I have misread your-" he has his gaze cast down now, "Please forgive me" he does not meet her eye.

Regina stands very still, feeling her blood run fiercely through her veins, her head thump with a billion thoughts.

_What had she done?_

_What was she doing?_

She had wanted to kiss him, yes, but she is married to the king, she cannot indulge herself with kissing other men. But this is no ordinary man, _he_, Robin, he is different, he makes her feel so alive. She has not felt her heart beat so fast ever since Daniel. Now she had ruined it, as she did everything she touched, she ruined her small chance at a little taste of bliss. Maybe she does not deserve it, maybe it was better off this way. He himself has seen the darkness in her eyes, she is not worthy of the light he offered her, of the warmth his touch provides, she is in too deep in hate.

"Would you like me to escort you back to the ballroom milady?" his voice snaps her out of her musings. She looks up to find he is looking her way but not the way he had before, his eyes do not meet hers and have lost much of the light they once carried.

"No, I do not" she says dryly, her throat feels as if it is closing up.

"I understand-" he shifts his weight from one foot to another, his eyes downcast again, his voice sounds broken and Regina's heart breaks along with it, "The ballroom is down that corridor to the left-"

"I do not want to go back to the ballroom." She finds her voice, stating certain, a tone which would have made her mother proud. Upon her second sentence however – seeing the look of utter confusion on his masked face – she falters, "I-" she presses her lips together and tries again, "I do not want to go back."

An unconscious tear falls from one of her eyes, running down her cheek. His gaze catches the lone drop upon her skin and he takes a step towards her again, but this time it is wary, he is afraid, rather uncertain of how she is going to react.

"Milady, please forgive me-" he says in all earnest and all Regina wants to do was grab his face and kiss him senseless, kiss him until the end of time, "-I did not mean to upset you."

"You did not upset me," Regina replies, wiping her tear from her cheek with the back of her hand, "It's me, the problem is me." She looks down once more, not being able to bear his tender blue eyes upon her.

"Milady,-" she does not look up, he tries again, "Regina,-" upon hearing her name Regina dares to look into his eyes again, "Tell me,-" he looks so earnest, so eager to help, Regina's chest is nearly bursting, "-let me help."

She does not deserve him.

She runs.

Gathering her skirts, she runs towards the first entrance she sees, a passage that led to a downward staircase and down she runs. She is not being as quick as she wants to, her dress, her shoes, even her jewelry; everything seems to slow her down. The stairs are made of stone and feel slightly slippery against the material from under her dress shoes. She can hear him trail behind her, her name leaves his kissable lips, the ones she does not deserve, the ones she is running away from.

Upon reaching the end of the flight of stairs Regina is faced with a rather grim looking tunnel, she can either go left or right. Her heart is almost coming out of her mouth by this point, the place is dark and terrifies her, she feels so utterly alone in this awful place. She is also frozen on her spot, which is why Robin's figure collides quite unceremoniously with hers when he reaches the bottom of the stairs.

Before she can fall due to the impact, his strong hands grab her hips in order to steady her and save her from hitting the cold, stone floor.

This is the closest their bodies have ever been, their torsos are pressed to each other, her hands have gone to grab on both his shoulders. They are both breathing fast, trying to catch their breaths but their eyes appear to have found one another and it seems as if no force can break their exchange.

Long moments pass in which their breathing evens out. His hands, which had had a strong grip on her waist, start to loosen up. He is going to retreat again, retreat from her, the awful, crazy married woman that she is. _No_, Regina cannot have that, she cannot be without the warmth of his touch. As his hands start to leave her waist she mutters, "No" and finally breaks the intense exchange with his eyes only to land her own on his mouth. Then she goes for them with her own eager lips.

She hears him gasp as her lips make contact with his, which makes hers land on his bottom lip at first. She hears a groan from the back of his throat as she senses his hands back on her waist and his lips start to respond, moving against hers with keenness. Regina hums, bringing her hands to his neck, their lips seeming to be glued to one another.

Regina finally breaks the closed mouth yet intense kiss to catch her breath. She can feel his thumbs caressing her sides, his eyes gleam again in hope and happiness. He brings one hand to her cheek and caresses it ever so lightly with the back of his fingers, as if he was afraid she would disappear at any minute.

"Regina-" he says, looking down at her lips then back at her eyes, "May I see you?"

The mask! She is still wearing the stupid mask! And so is he for that matter.

"Yes" her answer is just a breath.

Ever so carefully, Robin brings both his hands to the mask and lifts the accessory from Regina's face, revealing to him her whole face. She cannot make eye contact with him, is too embarrassed, afraid of what he might think of her. She hears him gasp and the solid sound of a mask being dropped on the floor.

His fingers are on her chin once more bringing her gaze to meet his. His eyes gleam, they are bright and his lips sported one of the most beautiful smiles she had ever seen. He runs the backs of fingers about cheek – she cannot help but close her eyes - traces her forehead and touches his fingers down on her other cheek with a tender light touch. He lets out a large outtake of breath and whispers, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Regina liberates a dry laugh whilst she opens her eyes, "You do not have to say that, I-"

"I'm not lying Regina," he tells her in all earnest, so sure of his words Regina cannot help but gulp. Seeing that she became a little uneasy he completes trying to soothe her, "I'm actually now, quite reluctant to take mine off-" she laughs and it is a real laugh this time.

"It cannot be that bad." Regina jokes bringing her hands up to reach for his mask but stops, "May I?" she asks.

"If you want to milady-" he says back to her, "-but I have warned you, do not get your hopes up too high."

She laughs again and lifts the mask from his face, holding it in her right hand when the task is done. She looks up and sees Robin, all of him, and he is just perfection. Nothing much was being concealed by his mask and yet his eyebrows, the shape of his nose, the skin beside his eyes which she found creased when he smiled and even his subtly wrinkled forehead paint a perfect picture she wants to kiss and kiss and kiss. She smiles at him, which draws from him a relieved sigh.

"Thank God for that, the suspense was killing me" one of his hands move to the back of her neck, tangling in her dark tresses, the contact sending shivers down her spine.

She brings her free, gloved hand to run through his hair, trying to comb a bit of the messiness the mask left behind. When she is done, Robin takes her hand in his and asks;

"Regina, may I kiss you?" his eyes liquid with anticipation.

"You may" she replies in a soft smile.

He lowers his face to hers ever so slowly, giving her every opportunity to think or to turn him down but she does no such thing. His lips linger almost a breath away from hers, waiting. She closes the gap unable to hold back her desire to have all she can manage of him pressed against her.

Regina drops his mask on the floor and brings her hand to the back of his head, bringing him closer to her, his own still very much tangled on her hair. Her other hand, which had remained clutched in his, stirred and their fingers entwined together in a natural movement.

Kissing that man feels like fireworks are erupting on her belly, Regina sighs against his wet lips, nibbling his bottom one ever so slightly. Robin starts planting soft kisses on her lips, one, two, three, before his lips crash over hers for a while longer. He runs his tongue about her lips and though Regina is a bit uncertain she gives into her instincts, opens her mouth up to him, welcoming his tongue in her.

If she has been feeling as if tiny explosions are happening in the pit of her stomach before, the sensation triples when his tongue starts exploring her mouth. Regina moans against her will and presses her body harder against his, the clutch on the back of his head getting firmer as they tongues dance together.

After a few blissful minutes Robin draws away from her, she can see his lips carrying a soft red coloring and prides herself in being the one responsible for it. Their foreheads bump with each other as both wear silly smiles on their lips. She feels so utterly blissful just being like this with this man she hardly knows, Regina wants to cry.

Why had fate spit on her face and tied her up to the king? A man who had never been half as kind to her as Robin had just been. Had never shown even a fraction of the respect Robin possessed. Had never asked for her consent to touch or kiss her, but simply took.

Her sorrow must be clear upon her face for Robin brings his hands to her shoulders and puts some distance between them, looking at her with nothing but concern.

"Regina, what's wrong?" he asks, "You don't have to do anything you do not wish to, I-"

"No, that is not it, I'm-" she presses her lips together.

"Married" he completes sorrowfully.

"So unhappy" she is almost crying at this point, tears prickling on her eyes, her voice going watery, her hands loose on her sides, "I'm angry all the time. My husband, my stepdaughter, they-" Regina gulps down her tears, "I hate them both so much" she completes quietly.

Robin runs his hands about her bare biceps, his touch soothing and kind as he asks, "It was arranged then? Your marriage?"

"He did ask for my hand, but I never got a chance to refuse-" Regina explains, "-my mother accepted it for me instantly." Regina let outs a humorless laugh as she remembers mother, "She was the one who orchestrated the whole thing, she wanted me to be Qu-" Regina gulps down the truth, already afraid she was letting out too much of her true identity, "She wanted me to marry up."

"I'm so sorry Regina," Robin's forehead is all wrinkles of concern. He shakes his head, "I have to ask-" he swallows hard before he asking her, his thumbs caressing the skin of her shoulder, "Is you husband cruel to you Regina?"

"He is hardly ever around really-" she states in a bland voice, "-he enjoys making his journeys with Snow, his daughter, not with me." Regina holds back the last piece of information, which she knows he wants to know about.

"But-" he tries.

She looks him straight in the eye only to find worry and compassion. She finds she cannot look at him and averts her gaze as she replies, "But, when he is around, he-" a tear finally falls from one of her eyes and lands straight on the stone floor between them, "he's not gentle. He-" Regina sniffs back her tears, "-he takes what is rightfully his."

Robin takes her face in his hands and brings her gaze back to his. Her cheeks are moistened with tears, her eyes now red due to the salty waters coming from them. When she sees his face it is hard and angered; his lips turned into a thin line, his cheeks slightly reddened, he does not look as if he is breathing.

"You are nobody's property to be taken Regina," he tells her, his big calloused hands feel so strangely soft against her skin.

"He says I should feel honored that he's taking me." She cannot really meet his eye anymore talking about the King.

Robin growls but says nothing, his hands still on her cheeks.

"He also says I should not cry while we… he-" Regina gives into a few more tears, Robin's fingers do they best they can at wiping them away. "-but it hurts, I-" The frown never seems to leave his expression, "It's my wifely duty, he says-" but Regina cannot finish it, the remembrance of the awful nights spent with Leopold hurt too much, are too raw.

"Regina, you must not believe that" he states, dropping his hands to her shoulders bringing her closer to him, "You do not believe that, do you?" he lowers his gaze so he can meet hers when she does not give him an answer, "Regina"

"I have never really belonged to myself Robin." She looks at him, telling him truthfully, "From the moment I was born I belonged to my mother, I was just a means to an end to her." Regina tries to explain to him that all this is bigger than her, that she is merely a pawn, a little chess piece Cora managed to transform into Queen.

"What happened to her?" Robins asks.

"She's gone" Regina gives him and looks away from his gaze. She cannot look into those eyes, filled with good intentions and light. She cannot, not after what she has done, she does not want to reveal her darkness, how she pushed her mother into the unknown.

Regina fate is sealed; she is bound to be unhappy and miserable, of that she knows, of that Rumple has informed her. Once you are touched by the darkness, you can never go back.

The darkness had touched her and now there is nothing she can do about it. She had made herself unworthy of someone as kind and caring as Robin, who she knew so little of and yet, captured her heart, stole her breath away, robbed her of her senses with his kisses.

"Please," Regina puts distance between them pushing, lightly at his chest; he steps back as much as she pushes him and not an inch more, "I'm not-"

But before she can finish Robin takes both her gloved hands in his, "I would like to show you something" he states simply and lightly, his tone completely changed. He still holds a bit of anger in his words, but they now carry a tone of adventure, of mischief. Regina cannot help but look up at him; he has a soft smile on his lips and his eyes twinkle.

"Robin, I'm not worth-" she tries again, tries to tell him she's not worth saving, she's beyond hope, but he cuts her again.

"Do not say that" he brings his thumb to cover her lips in order to silence her, he runs the calloused pad over her lips once before continuing, "You are stunning, and so strong. And worth so much more Regina." Another tear slides from her eye, "I want to share something with you I have not shared with anybody before."

"Then why me?" she asks not understanding.

"Because you are worthy of it" he replies, holding the side of her face in his hand and leaning down, planting a soft quick kiss on her lips, "Come"

He takes her hand firmly in his and guides her through the left side tunnel. She kicks one mask that lay forgotten on the floor but pays it no mind as she looks ahead at Robin. He looks back at her and smiles and suddenly Regina's demons seem to retreat as her heart starts beating faster with excitement.

Their hands are joined as he leads her throughout the tunnel but she cannot feel his skin, not with the fabric of her gloves in the way. She tugs at his hand and calls out his name for them to halt their journey. He turns around puzzled to look at her as she disentangles her hand from his.

"I do not need these, they are irritating me," she says with a laugh in her voice and Robin smiles in return. Regina removes both her gloves, delicate pearly white things, excessively expensive accessories that Regina rids herself of, feeling as if she strips herself from her royal status as she does.

Robin watches her wordlessly and when she is finished, she is the one who reaches for his hand and asks him to lead on. Most of the weight of her heart has been lifted. The tunnel remains dark and dingy but somehow with Robin's guiding hand Regina's former feelings about the place seemed to shift. She is excited, eager to see what he wants to show her. She also wants to know just how did he come to know this castle so well.

"Robin," she breaks the amiable silence that had spread throughout their walk, "Do you live in this castle?"

He looks back at her grinning and replies, "No, I don't."

"Then how come you know it so well?" she is intrigued, wants to know more about him, wants to know everything about him.

"Well-" he tries, "Let me put it this way, I do visit here a lot." He gives her a lopsided grin telling her that is not all there is to it.

Regina cannot help but smile at him, there is something he is not telling her, but then again she also is keeping quite an important piece of information from him.

"Here we are," he says bringing Regina back to reality.

She looks ahead and sees the tunnel come to an end, but not as a stony dead end. Robin encourages her to come closer to the large opening, one that led to what looked to be a mighty fall, Regina is rather reluctant to follow.

"It's alright," he says reassuringly, "I've got you"

Those words seem to ring deeper in her than they were supposed to, and with her heart racing Regina allows Robin to lead her to the edge of the opening. To her surprise there is a staircase glued to the wall that leads down to the edges of the castle. Robin does not lead her to it; instead he sits on the edge – not so scary anymore since the danger of the fall was not so imminent – inviting her to join him. Regina does not think twice before accommodating herself beside him, so close that their sides touch and she feels the warmth of him.

"Look," Robin whispers point at the sky and Regina then notices it was packed with shinning stars, not a cloud in sight just deep, dark, blue infested with bright spots for her eyes delight.

Regina finds herself gasping at the beautiful sight, bellow them is Sherwood Forest, mostly darkened by the cover of night but the sounds of the wild very much alive. The moon is almost full and it illuminates the dreamlike view Robin has chosen to show her.

"You've never brought anybody here?" Regina asks still in awe of what lays out there.

"Well, me and my men did discover it together-" he starts, looking at her apologetically, "-but we hardly ever really use the route to es-" he clears his throat and Regina has to wonder if he was really about to say what she thinks he was about to say. "My point is, I am the only one who still comes here, for no reason in particular, just to-" he takes in a long intake of breath, "just to think, to feel a little daring…" he gives her another lopsided grin.

"Daring?" Regina looks at him curiously, "How so?"

He bites his lower lip looking at her thoroughly before replying, "Well, if I'm going to be completely honest with you Regina, I was not invited to this ball at all."

"I know," she knew a while ago, because every single person who had been invited to this awful gathering was one in the same; rich and pretentious. And even though Robin's clothes had clearly been tailor made, they have small holes, his mask, although beautiful in design, had cracked quite easily when it had made contact with the floor after she had removed it, plus Regina knew calloused hands like his did not belong in nobility. She remembered quite well how hard the skin of Daniel's palm had been, just like Robin's, but in different spots of the hand, which led Regina to believe he was not a stable boy.

"You do?" he raises both his eyebrows in surprise.

"I do." She says simply, "I'm actually glad you are not one of those pompous guests, they are not worth the air that they breathe." Regina moves a little closer to him and places her own on top of his.

"Nor the gold they possess." Robin states.

"I guess that too." Regina sighs, having never really thought about that side too much.

"Which is why it's my job to steal it to give it to the people in need." He states simply and Regina cannot help but jump in surprise putting a small distance between them as the hand that had been warming his goes to her chest, just above her heart.

"I beg your pardon?" Of _that_ she most definitely was not aware.

"My mission here tonight was to keep an eye on the guards and guests so that my friends could go to work," he starts explaining turning to face her, Regina's mouth is hanging opened. "Although I did a pretty lousy job, since from the moment I spotted you I was completely useless to my cause." He tries to humor.

Regina blinks several times, mouth still rather agape, as she tries to recollect her thoughts and take in what he had just told her. After a few moments, she manages, "And what cause is that?"

"Steal from the rich and give to the poor." He says proudly and Regina's mouth – which had gone dry – finally closes as she swallows and the wheels in her head turn, pieces coming together.

"We were warned about you!" she says pointing an accusing finger at him.

"How so?" he asks, he frowns, he looks worried, as if he had just ruined this perfect moment they were having.

"They said there were thieves in the forest and that we should be careful" the hand clutching her chest fisting at the fabric of her dress,

"We only steal from the unjust milady." He states seriously.

"Robin-" she looks at him in wonder, "_You_ are Robin Hood!" Regina finally states aloud, "You are nobility after all-" she smirks and sees his expression ease, "-you are the prince of thieves. You are quite famous in my kingdom; I have heard my maids gossiping about your band of merry men."

"Are you disappointed?" he asks truthfully, seemingly afraid of her response.

She finally takes her hand away from her chest and places it on his thigh whilst stating with a smile, "Not at all."

He gives her an incredulous laugh and Regina cannot take it anymore, she feels a pull to his lips and surrenders to it. Leans in and with all the acceptance and understanding her words cannot convey, she kisses his smiling lips.

The kiss is short but filled with promise as Regina presses her lips hard against his, he places two soft kisses to her lips before they part and says, "Well, I have never had that kind of reaction to revealing my true identity." They both chuckle and the movement brings their foreheads together.

Regina sighs, her heart is light, she feels so happy she could burst, "Is it selfish of me to say I'm glad for that?"

"Not at all," he brings one hand to cup her cheek; he runs his thumb along her soft skin, as he continues, "Is there anything you wish to share with me?"

Regina immediately draws back, "Like what?" she is scared, all of a sudden terrified, _he knows_.

"I think you know Regina," he says plainly.

"I-" Regina does not have the words, does he know about her magic? About her _dark_ magic? About her association with Rumple? She tests the waters, "You _know_?"

"I do know," he answers.

"But how? Did you know the whole time?" she starts to fidget with her hands, draws away from him even further, foreheads had long lost their contact as she now stares at her lap.

"I did not know _the whole time_," he tries to ease things up by imitating her voice, which does manage to steal a small smile from her lips, "But you must admit that not many call their daughters 'Snow'," she looks up at him incredulous, "You had given a few clues before but after that I simply connected the dots."

He-

_Oh_

Regina is the Queen, he knows she is the Queen, no magical string attached, just the Queen.

"And still you pursued me?" Regina questions, not willing herself to believe this man would actually go after her fully knowing who she was, "Even knowing I was the Queen and the penalty of doing what we did is death, on both of us."

"Regina, kissing you,-" he brings his thumb and forefinger to caress ever so lightly at her chin, running the very tip of his finger about her lips, "- is worth every single risk."

She does not know who finally closes the distance but a second later their lips crash together once more and this time she can feel passion and fervor in his kisses. She tentatively runs her tongue about his lower lip and he opens up to her, deepening the kiss. This time, their tongues dance, tangoing, tripping over each other. She brings both her hands to cup the side of his jaw. Regina sighs against his mouth, content, butterflies flying about her stomach.

Kissing Robin reminds Regina a little of what she used to share with Daniel, although the pair had never gone past this stage of intimacy. But there is something oddly different about this thief, this outlaw, he brings a strangely welcome warm feeling down below, something Regina did not register ever feeling before.

It makes Regina press her legs tightly in order to try to soothe the tingling sensation whilst she kisses and kisses the man. She finds she needs pressure in a certain area she had hardly explored before, it being the place where the King claimed his ownership over her, a place she would rather forget existed. And yet now as Regina crosses her legs with determination, searching for that pressure and getting in return small flames dancing in her stomach, she wishes to do the unthinkable, craves to do things she never before looked forward to.

Robin's hands have come to rest on her waist, his touch had once been delicate but now he squeezes the flesh on her sides from time to time which only helps in fanning Regina's fire more and more. She rotates her hips in order to satiate her newfound craving and lets out a sensual moan, a sound she cannot remember having ever fabricated before. She feels Robin groan at her outlet and part their kiss for a moment to utter her name before he hungrily claims her lips once more.

That exchange makes something in her snap and in an impulsive act; she sits on Robin's lap facing him, a leg on either side of him. Her dress proves to be a bit of a challenge but sooner rather than later she has her aching core pressed against him. They kiss as Regina sways her hips once more, delighted by the force he is using to clutch her just above her behind to help her with her sensuous movement and the noises he makes which she feels reverberate inside her mouth.

Regina burns, she burns as she has never before, her heart races fast, she grinds and grinds on Robin, who does not seem to mind her actions, but rather enjoy them. There had been no preparation for Regina when it came to being bedded by her husband, her mother had only informed her she was to do whatever the King wished, obey to his every order. She gathers her actions are pleasing to her as well as to Robin but an insecurity crept from deep inside her, a nagging voice telling her she was behaving like a fool, that she will never be good enough.

Her insecurities were apparently clear in her change of action for they did not go by unnoticed by her fervent partner. Robin pulls back gently from their passionate exchange to regard her, a smile on his lips, showcasing his dimples she has already learned to adore.

"Am I making you uncomfortable Regina?" he says while he brushes a few wisps of hair from her eyes, holds onto her waist tight with his other hand.

She realizes she is breathless when she replies, "No" it's a mere whisper, "I-" she bites her lower lip and blushes. She does not have the words, does not know to convey her insecurities, feels ashamed of her inexperience. She looks away from his adoring questioning gaze.

He reaches his thumb up to pull her lower lip from between her teeth, "Regina," he urges her gaze back to his, "you can trust me,-" his accent was painfully poignant, emphasizing his point to reassure her even more, "-I would never do anything you do not want me to."

Regina feels the red of her cheeks warm her skin in shame. She finds it hard to express her feelings but she manages, "I have never-" she stops, swallows before she continues with her eyes closed and her head slightly tilted back not wanting to meet his eye, "I have never felt this before."

She hears him take in a breath to speak but beats him to it continuing, "This warm odd feeling in the pit of my stomach, it makes me want to do things with my body-" she then opens her eyes to meet his, "-and I'm afraid." A single tear slides from her left eye which Robin catches with his thumb, his mouth his slightly opened as he processes what she has just disclosed to him.

She takes a deep breath before finally confessing, "I have never felt this way before when I'm with _him_."

His eyes widen at that last statement, "Regina, you've never-" but he himself cannot find the words, he closes his mouth and Regina is pretty sure she looks like a scared little mouse staring back at him.

"I know you must think I'm silly-" Regina tries to laugh away but the laugh isn't genuine, it has a bite, "Mounting you like a horse like this,-" she gestures with her hands at their current position, "-but this is entirely new to me."

The look he gives her then seems as if he is looking deep inside her soul, it halts her breathing. Then both his hands find her face, bringing it close to his and giving her a quick but searing kiss to which she hums in agreement.

He draws back and looks at her very seriously, and Regina notices that his blue pools have grown several shades darker, hosting something new in their depths.

"Regina-" he says, "I would like to give you something"

"What?" she asks, curious at his sudden change of subject.

"It's a-" Robin starts, "It's something that feels like-" but he can't quite complete his sentence, he tilts his head in thought a frown adorns his forehead.

"What is it Robin?" Regina wants to know

"Let me put it this way-" he starts, "-the way you were feeling, it's completely normal, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's a _good_ thing Regina, I'm happy I was able to assist you feeling that way," she offers him a shy smile, "-but that was just a taste, you can feel so much more." he takes one of her hands in his, "If you will allow me milady, I would like to assist you further in _feeling_." He kisses her knuckles and Regina is careful not to faint at this display of affection, so simple and yet so special when performed by him.

She gasps and he continues, "I will stop immediately if you ask me to milady, I do not want to push you,-" he wets his lips, "-I want to see you bloom, as you are the most beautiful and captivating flower I have ever come across in all my years in this earth." She finally meets his eye, her own are watery and his are full of promise, "Do you trust me?"

"I trust you." she answers promptly.

He smiles at her and asks her to disentangle herself from him for a minute as he moves his body so his back rests on the cold stone wall of the tunnel. He then asks Regina to resume her original position straddling him which she does with a faint blush on her cheeks. She has never felt so eager or so nervous in her entire life but she trusts this man completely. Even though facts contradict her choices, he is a thief, confessed to be doing thievery at this very ball, and yet, Regina knew that the only thing he would manage to steal this evening was her heart.

He fumbles a little bit with her skirts, helping her into position once more, they chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation. His smile soothes Regina's soul, makes her heart skip a beat. He brings one hand to cup her cheek. Regina's gaze is diverted to his lips and they meet in a promising kiss. She holds back nothing, gives herself completely to him, body and soul through this simple kiss.

The exchange does not remain simple for a long time; soon Regina starts to feel the burning sensation on the pit of her stomach that makes her want to rub herself against him as much as she can. Robin's mouth is now hungry, she sighs against it, enjoying the intensity of his actions, urging him on. His mouth leaves hers to start a pepper kisses along her neck, he nips on the tender skin just behind her ear and Regina cannot help but moan and sway her hips against his.

He had adjusted their position in such a way she could feel his hard member in between her legs. The prospect in having anything like that near her had always been a dreadful one in Regina's experience. But at this moment she felt her sex so impossibly wet and slick, her body told her it did not want anything but Robin's throbbing sex inside her.

One of his hands tangles and caresses at the back of her neck as he sucks on a sensitive spot on Regina's neck which makes her see stars. His other hand wondered about her back, caressing her through the fabric of her dress - which Regina felt like getting rid of with every passing second.

The wondering hand soon enough found the hem of her dress as his mouth continued to paint red on Regina's neck. She could feel the pads of his fingers on the bare flesh of her thigh; the touch was light but absolutely maddening. Regina found herself shivering at the sensation and letting escape a ragged breath that drove his head from her neck so his now dark blue pools could meet her heated brown ones.

"Too much?" He asks in all earnest, his hand remains under her shirts but now only rests against her skin, not teasing anymore.

Regina needs a moment to find her voice, "No,-" she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear looking down before she continues, "-it's wonderful" she smiles at him and he reciprocates, "I have never been very vocal when-" she manages to blush even more, "I apologize"

"Regina,-" he says lifting her chin with one finger, "-you sound heavenly" she traps her bottom lip between her teeth in embarrassment, "Never apologize for you pleasure, it's music to my ears" he brings his hidden hand up her thigh and squeezes the flesh which draws a half surprised involuntary moan from Regina, "Stunning" he completes and kisses her again.

As they continue to exchange passionate kisses, nipping, sucking, tasting, Robin's hand explores her hidden flesh, runs up and down her bare legs. She decides to do a little exploring herself and brings her hands from his neck, running them down his strong chest and further to his stomach. His torso is taut and muscular beneath her fingers and Regina cannot help but wonder how it looks like and even how it would feel like against her tongue.

Robin's fingers find the edge of her undergarments and Regina opens her eyes. He starts to fiddle with the fabric, running only the pads of his fingers about it. He breaks the kiss and bites tenderly at her bottom lip and asks, "Is this alright?" his skims two fingers about her undergarments again, he runs them by a particular spot that makes Regina feel as if fireworks are exploding there, makes her twist her hips against his fingers.

"Don't stop" she manages and closes her eyes again when he starts to pressure that same spot again.

She cannot recognize the noises that are coming out of her mouth but cannot hold them back. His two fingers work wonders on her, make her dizzy beyond belief, beyond anything she ever felt before. Regina had felt wonderful whilst using her magic, powerful and safe, but this was beyond, _this_ was so much better than having powers cursing through her fingertips.

His mouth travels down, he kisses the swell of her breasts that are exposed by her tight corseted gown. Soon his other hand untangles from her hair and comes to rest on her hip just as he is able to unbutton the underthings covering her most intimate parts, parts which ached, ached for him, for his passionate and loving touch.

He runs one finger about her sex, making Regina shiver, she grinds against his finger, trying to find some release.

"Ah Regina," he groans against her breast, "You are so wet, you're driving me crazy-" his finger swipes by her again, licking his way up her throat as he does, Regina whines a moan.

He finds that spot again, but now the flesh is wet and bare against the pad of his thumb. He pressures and rubs the delicate skin over and over again and Regina is pretty sure she has lost her ability to breathe. Her mouth hangs opened, her eyes squeezed shut as with every movement Robin makes a new wave of pleasure wash over her body. Both her own hands grip at his shoulders, trying to find balance of any kind. Her head is so light by this point, she thinks she might faint as he picks up the pace, his groaning mingling with her incessant cries and moans. She cannot manage to get a single coherent word out of her mouth, not even a 'more' or 'yes' or 'faster', which she felt so much like communicating but could not even draw in a steady breath for an attempt at them.

She registers his other hand starts to move and finds its way beneath her skirt as well to join its pair. Regina does not understand why, but all too soon she feels one of his fingers teasing at her entrance. That was a region of her body she had never wanted invaded - she had felt violated and used when the King would burry himself unceremoniously inside her – but Regina could not help but grind herself against his playful finger.

He bites her earlobe and Regina takes in a breath in between clenched teeth, his fingers circles her entrance as the ones in the other hand continue to drive her half-insane with bliss. He swipes his tongue along the line behind her ear sending shivers all over her body and whispers, a low request, "May I?" she can feel his hot breath against her skin, his questioning finger just outside her slick entrance.

Regina is not certain she can manage to respond, she takes a huge intake of air and then swallows, managing to open her eyes for the first time in a while. She sees he is biting his lower lip, "God yes!" she then takes him by surprise by taking his face with both her hands and kissing the man hard of the lips.

His single finger slides inside her as they deepen the kiss, Regina savored every single ounce of his sweetness, never wanting this moment to ever end. In and out his finger goes inside Regina, testing her slickness, he curves it in a way that makes Regina bite hard of his lower lip. One finger suddenly becomes two and Robin starts pumping them in earnest, groaning against her neck. By this point the kiss had broken and Robin has rested his forehead on Regina's neck, giving his full attention to her lower body.

Regina's insides were being set on fire, his fingers work her up to a point where Regina cannot feel her legs, or the tips of her fingers – even though they are fisting at his hair. She cries out again and again, manages to gasp out his name and she can feel his lips curve into a smile on the skin of her neck.

Suddenly the buildup is too much, the pleasure is absurdly overwhelming, Regina thinks she cannot possibly live through what is coming her way. A mixture of fear and lust invade her veins, her noises become louder and she feels herself clench, clench tightly on Robin's skillful fingers.

Everything inside her is in flames; she feels her sex tightened like a knot pulled just too tight and suddenly, gloriously falls. Release like nothing she had ever experienced; as if she is flying high, the sensation must have only lasted seconds but Regina could honestly say those were the best ones of her life.

At this moment, it was absurdly clear she would easily give up all her power, the one that came with being Queen and also the one that Rumple had taught her, for _this_. For _him_, for his tender and passionate touch, for the way he looked at her, not only now but when they met, when she cried, when he saw her darkness. She opened her eyes to meet his, his deep blue depths hold so much feeling, with so many words that were left unsaid but that actions had conveyed. His stare burns through her soul, he opens up a smile that fills her heart with hope and Regina knows that even though all odds are against them, this would not be the last time this man would make her fly.


	2. Chapter 2

"Regina?" she hears him whisper.

Her eyes are closed, her whole body tingling as she comes back to consciousness – for what she had just lived had to be an out of body experience, _that_ amount of pleasure could not possibly be felt in normal circumstances. She sighs out a breath opening her eyes to meet his. They are still in the very same position, her legs straddle him making her a few inches taller. His hands have come out from the confines of her skirts and she blinks a couple of times diverging her attentions to them.

Her breath is still coming out a little difficult as she reaches out for one of his hands with both of her own, she feels his intense eyes accompany her movements. She brings the hand up, it is moistened with her slickness, a slippery substance Regina does not recall ever having in between her legs.

"What is this?" she asks still inspecting his fingers, a faint blush of embarrassment flushes her skin.

He chuckles at her question and Regina presses her lips together as more shame invades her chest. She averts her gaze from his even more, looking to the side out at the starry sky, feeling suddenly foolish, so very foolish. He must realize he has made her uncomfortable with his humor for he brings his free hand to cup the cheek she had turned to him. He runs his calloused thumb along her skin and says in the softest tone he's used all evening,

"This is something your body creates when you feel pleasure Regina" he explains, she still does not meet his eye, her grip on his hand now loosening. He guides the hand upward and Regina slowly turns her head back to face him and catches him as he takes one of his soaked fingers inside his mouth, her hands still limply hold on to his hand.

Regina lets escape a small gasp, her mouth remaining slightly agape at the sight before her eyes, confused she should feel a small burning sensation down below at his actions. She watches as he cleans his fingers off her juices licking all the slickness away. When he is done she blinks several times before finally meeting his eyes, they twinkle as his lips curve into a smirk.

"You taste exquisite," he tells her before bringing his lips to hers giving her a quick kiss before continuing, "You are exquisite milady" he entwines his fingers in hers and Regina leans down again and kisses him, longingly, wishing this moment would never end.

She draws back from the kiss and holds his face in both her hands and gives him a watery smile before confessing, "Thank you Robin,-" she bites softly on her lower lip, "I never thought this was possible, I-" she cannot find the words to express herself and gives him a small laugh instead.

He kisses the finger which is nearest to his mouth smiling back at her and says, "The pleasure was all mine milady."

She tilts her head to the side and gives him a humorous frown, "I think it's safe to say the pleasure was all _mine._" She drops her hands from his face and they rest loosely on his shoulders, this whole situation is so alien and yet feels so natural to Regina. She feels his hands on her waist; one of them has a finger drawing tingling patterns on her cloth covered lower back.

"Well you see milady," he brings her torso closer to his and Regina can feel his hard member in between her legs, "-some people find it rather pleasurable to _give_ pleasure." He winks at her and grins.

Regina feels as if she might melt but does not want to miss a beat, "And I presume _you_ are one of those people" she arches an eyebrow at him.

"Indeed I am milady." He peppers one single kiss on her neck, hitting a perfectly sensitive spot.

She sighs but escapes his next kiss with another question, "But aren't you-?" she finds she does not really know how to put it, she swallows, "Don't you want to-?" she blushes and groans, looking up at the dark ceiling above them, "Oh, I'm hopeless."

"You are no such thing Regina," he tells her running both his hands to her side soothingly.

Her head snaps back so she can face him, newly acquired curiosity winning over her embarrassment, "But aren't you still-" it falters, she fights to finish, "-hard?" she whispers the last word as if it is a mortal secret. She looks down between her legs where she feels him, firm as a rock.

"Why yes, I am," he chuckles a little, looking down as well, he brings his gaze back to hers and says in all earnest, "But this isn't about me, it's about you." She lowers her head and their foreheads bump, "I can take care of it later."

Regina's cheeks are red hot with excitement and awkwardness, she feels him pressing against her and wants to give back, wants to know how to make _him_ squirm and moan. He is the kindest man she has come across in a very long time, the only who showed true respect towards her, the only one who understood and valued her boundaries and limitations. She wants to give back, wants to know how to turn the tables on him. Although _that_ will prove to be rather difficult since she knows very little about how to please a man.

She decides that bold and honest are the best ways to go and asks, "And what if _I_ want to take care of it?"

Robin does not respond right away, but instead looks at her with his mouth hanging slightly opened. Regina's heart is hammering against her chest in anticipation; she refuses to give into her insecurities, the ones who are telling her she is acting like a fool and that she should not have said that.

He swallows and finally gives her, "Regina, you don't have to-" but she cuts him, a newfound surge of confidence boosts her.

"But I _want_ to" she insists, she shakes his shoulders a little bit, he gives her a half incredulous smile, "I mean it, I-" she stutters, "I just don't know how-"

He tries again, "Regina-"

"Please show me how" she interrupts him before he is done saying her name.

"Are you certain?" he asks her finally, he tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "You don't have to do anything you do not want to. Do you understand?"

"Yes" she breathes out, excited, giddy and curious; she gives him a sweet smile which he kisses upon sight with fervor.

He breaks the kiss and lands an adoring one on her cheek telling her, "But I think that before anything we should get your lovely knees off of this awful floor"

It is then that Regina realizes her knees ache, they had been enduring quite an unpleasant rasping section with the stone floor. During her ecstatic moments the pain ran by unregistered by her senses but now, as she lifts up from Robin's lap and straightens herself up, she can feel a sting on her knees. She innocently lifts up her skirts in order to inspect the damage and sees that soft red adorns her skin, it is slightly scraped.

Robin has just gotten to his knees when she does so and so he is met with the same sight. He immediately reaches out for her legs, placing a single loving, soft, and butterfly kiss on each of her harmed knees. She can hardly feel it, the deed itself is light and filled with carefulness but it sends shivers all over her body.

He looks up at her as he finishes treating her left knee and smiles, getting to his feet, only a small gap now separates their bodies. He takes her right hand in his and lifts it up to his lips, he places a small kiss on each of the pads of her fingers, Regina watches him like a hawk. He then kisses her palm and wrist and Regina feels butterflies on her stomach, a warm sensation stirring up inside her.

"I thought I was the one who was doing the pleasing," she said in a quiet voice, nearly a whisper.

"Patience milady" he whispers back, he guides her hand to his chest and she rests her palm against his beating heart. It thumps strong and fast, she can feel the warmth of his skin through the fabric of his linen shirt.

He lets go of her hand and Regina's palm ever so slowly starts to inspect the man's chest. He is muscular and strong beneath her questioning fingertips, the rise and fall of his breathing accelerating whenever her hand chooses to go south.

Regina's bottom lip is trapped in between her teeth, her other hand joins the exploration to feel at his side, a little of his taunt back, and his well-defined stomach and his strong arms. The shirt suddenly feels like a barrier, like a weight. She longs to see him what she touches, to feel his steaming hot skin against hers, so she untucks the edges of his shirt from his pants with a little too much impatience.

Her actions draw a small laugh from Robin and her gaze snaps back to meet his, her eyes big with wonderment, "May I take it off?"

He gives her a smile that makes her heart skip a beat and replies, "Of course"

She sprawls her fingers just above the waistband of his trousers and feels at the fabric before tucking it and pulling the shirt upward. The dress jacket he had been wearing lies somewhere on the floor, neither of them sure of when it had been discarded. The same can be said about Regina's shoes; suddenly she realizes the soles of her feet meet the cold floor unprotected. But she cannot care less.

Regina gasps when her eyes meet his naked chest; she is not used to this imagery, not at all. He is painfully attractive, almost too good to be true. Her hand runs freely about his bare skin, up and down his spine, about the planes of his pectorals, delighting herself in feeling and adoring his every curve. A dumb smile pasted on her lips.

The man in question sighs and closes his eyes. Regina places a soft kiss on the patch of skin near the middle of his throat and brings her body closer to his, she then whispers in his ear, "You are incredible" she hears him sigh out a breath in response and feels his hands encircle her waist hugging her closer to him.

She nips at his earlobe earning, to her ears delight, a groan from his part, a sound that flares her up, makes her feel powerful and confident all of a sudden. She starts to place tender kisses along his neck until she reaches his right shoulder and gives him a soft bite there.

"Are you certain you do not know what you are doing milady?" He manages to humor but his voice has grown thicker.

Regina's cheeks flush pink as his remark hits her ears but replies in the same slurry tone of before, "Well, I know a little bit-" her hands start to skim down his skin again.

This time she goes lower, she watches her hands as her fingertips trace the skin just inside the waistband of his trousers and Robin sucks in a breath in between his teeth. Regina is rather uncertain of how to proceed, her finger trembles a little as she tentatively traces his hard length through the fabric of his trousers. Two other fingers join the lone one in feeling Robins sex, she puts a little bit more pressure on this time gauging at his reactions.

Robin hums and groans, his hips start bucking ever so lightly in the direction of her hand as her entire eager palm traces up and down. Regina's confidence boots and she starts to palm him, trying to take it in her hand through his now straining pants. She lets escape a moan as his grip on her waist gets more intense, she mimics it squeezing him tighter which makes Robin bring her frame to collide against his and bites down on her lower lip, Regina's hand is still in place, palming, hard.

He swallows hard before, uttering, his voice almost unrecognizable, "Would you like to see it?"

Regina manages to hum affirmatively, soon his fingers join hers, and together they blindly undo the bindings on his trousers, their eyes locked in one another. He kisses her tenderly as she feels the last bit of restrain is loosened. Regina cannot help but snake her hand sightlessly inside his pants. She hums as she feels his tender skin against hers, he, on his turn, gives her a full on groan that reverberates inside her mouth as her hand wonders. She registers he is slightly moistened on the tip, which she can only hope is a good sign.

She runs her thumb against the tip and Robin breaks the kiss gasping for air.

"Sorry" Regina manages letting go of him altogether, terribly afraid she did something wrong, she tries to put some distance between them but Robin stops her tightening his grip on her waist.

"Don't apologize Regina,-" she's trying to look everywhere but at him, her mother's incessant voice inside her head laughs at her and she tries her best to shut it out, to hear what Robin has to say. He continues, "- you weren't doing anything wrong." He takes her chin with one of his fingers and brings it up so her eyes met his, "you were actually doing it quite right, here-" he extends his hand to her, she places hers on his.

He guides her hand downward and tells her to take him; she wraps her fingers about his warm skin, her eyes wondering at what she is doing. She feels him warm against her skin and the feeling is so alien, she had never been able to simply examine the male anatomy. Tentatively Regina squeezes him feels at the skin, how the texture changes from the bottom to the top.

Her hands got down ever further to feel at his balls. Regina cannot help herself, she is too curious and Robin is making the most agreeing noises to her curious inspection. She feels the skin there is also different and traces her fingers along it before taking one of them in her hand, Robin groans at that and she squeezes it a little. Regina has a silly smile on her face as she continues to feel him through and through not only to satiate his needs but also to kill her curiosity. And so she strokes and touches and even pinches a little at his sensitive skin, studying his whole sex with keen interest and some fascination. She can hear Robin's reactions and from time to time looks up at him with a face of one who is up to no good.

He breaks the silence with a croaky voice, "Having fun?"

She meets his eye, a new glint adorns his now dark blue pools, and replies, "Actually, yes" she confesses, "I've never been able to inspect one of these so thoroughly. It's quite fascinating," she blushes because, really, she is talking about his manhood and that is a little awkward.

He gives her a hearty laugh, "Inspect all you want milady." He grins at her and Regina purses her lips before giving him a smile, her hand still wrapped about his length.

She wishes to go beyond the light touching, ideas, _wild_ ideas, fly about her head and she unconsciously licks her lips.

"What do you feel like doing with it?" he asks her, all fun and games dropped, his tone is now incredibly sensual, his lips seem to move in slow motion.

Regina is out of words once more, she bites the inside of her cheek and looks straight into his eyes, hoping that he somehow can read her mind, for she cannot find the words to voice her wishes.

"You can do whatever you want milady" he traces one finger on the side of her face affectionately.

She nods and wets her lips once more, feeling her cheeks flush pink. Her gaze drops to his member and Regina bends her head slowly towards it until her moist lips make contact with the tip in a tender kiss. He sucks in a big gulp of air and says her name and Regina places another and then another, liking the feel of it, the soft tender skin against her lips and also enjoying thoroughly to hear the noises Robin makes every time she lands a kiss on him. She squeezes him a bit more, making some of that sticky substance erupt from the tip, and decides to lick it away. She does and a salty, sour, odd taste hits her senses and Regina makes a face and snaps her back straight again.

He has a smile on his face and Regina tries to school the distasteful expression from her features, "You taste-" she tries, shaking her head slightly, "-peculiar"

He takes her chin in his hand and gives her a tender kiss, and she can hear Robin hum against her lips. She parts the kiss and starts to stroke him, up and down, she watches her hand move with keen interest, hearing Robin's noisy reactions which flare her to grip tighter. She looks up at him to find him wetting his lips with his tongue and cannot resist but kiss him. Her hand falters a little with the multi-tasking, her mouth moves in concert with his; she bites at his lower lip and pulls away.

Her pumping becomes more intense, quicker and Robin buries his face on shoulder, landing several kisses, groans, hisses and moans on the exposed skin. She imagines this is the right way to do it; she flushes in pride of undoing him as he had undone her, she enjoys her handiwork, and even though her working arm starts to ache, she pays it no mind, feeling ecstatic by this exchange. His arms have come to encircle her waist and he bucks his hips towards her hand, meeting her every pump, their bodies so close, his smell so strong, his noises so damn arousing.

Suddenly Regina feels the urge, the _need_, to have him nice and warm moving in such a fashion inside her, and not just on her hand. She whispers his name, slowing down her pace, which makes Robin groan but look up at her curious, a frown wrinkles his forehead.

"Robin-" she wets her lips, she realizes she's still very slick herself and she burns, aches for him, "-I want you"

She realizes her free hand is at the nape of his neck, grabbing at his hair, their foreheads touch and he breaths out her name, her lower hand has stopped moving altogether at this point. She brings it up to cup his cheek and breaths out, "I want you inside me"

He sucks in a big breath at her words and brings both his hands to her hair, he manages, "Are you certain milady?"

She chooses to answer to his question by closing the tiny gap in between their bodies rubbing herself against him. He lets escape a breathy, "Oh Gods Regina" and kisses her hard on the lips.

They stumble back, their mouths never parting, until Regina's back meets the surface of the stone wall of the tunnel. His hands start to roam about her body more urgently than before. Regina brings her head down and starts placing open-mouthed kisses on his neck as Robin begins to fumble with her skirts, his hands eager swimming against the many layers of her gown.

She shivers and bites down on his neck when his calloused hands find the flesh of her legs once more. This time his hands squeeze with might at her tights and behind, Regina hums, delighting herself in this moment. His now intense and slightly rougher attitude sets fire to her insides, stirring and swirling her desires and Regina lifts up one of her legs, hooking her ankle back on one of his legs moving in search of more friction on her sex.

He groans, one of his fingers runs about her sex, it is slippery with her juices and Regina gives a small wine when Robin inserts one finger inside her. She clutches her walls about his lone finger, arching her back out of the wall, wanting to meet him anyway she can.

He quickly takes out his fingers and removes his hands from under her skirt. Confused, thinking that maybe he is having second thoughts about this Regina acts upon impulse and grabs his hand and brings the finger that had just been inside her to her mouth. Robin is gap faced watching her suck on the finger with fervor looking at her in wonderment, he says once she's finished and lets go of his finger with a pop of her mouth, "Gods Regina, I'm crazy about you"

"Show me then" Regina slurs, Regina is now acting in pure instinct.

She takes the hem of her skirt in both her hands and lifts the fabric. For a beat, he just stares at her with ardent eyes but then his mouth is on hers and their tongues engage in a fiery dance, edging desperate. She can feel his sex press against her and opens her legs wider. She wants him so bad, wants him to move inside her, not only today but for every single day of her life. Wants nobody but him, his smell, his kindness, his eyes, his touch, his words, his body, his soul.

His length presses against that spot that makes her head dizzy and Regina takes it in her hands, she starts to guide him towards her entrance. He breaks the kiss and simply looks at her, as if once again asking for permission, asking if she was comfortable with his advances.

Regina reassures him with a, "Oh Robin, please"

He starts entering her ever so slowly, searching in her face for any trace of discomfort. Regina closes her eyes at the sensation of being filled by him, it feels like home, like warmth, as if for once she is safe, she is in charge, she has chosen this and she is finally happy.

When he is finally all the way inside her he stops moving all together, heat and electricity jump between their joined skin.

"Open your eyes," she hears him whisper, he traces his thumb about her forehead softly.

Regina's brown eyes open to meet his and she smiles, a smile of absolute and complete bliss. Trying to show him wordlessly how utterly happy he makes her, how absolutely complete she feels in his arms. He reciprocates with one dazzling smile Regina has to kiss; she does so fiercely, bucking her hips towards his creating a friction between their sexes she cannot believe feels so heavenly.

She moans loudly at this new sensation drawing her lips from his, he wears a smirk on his lips, a little smug thing she wants to bite away.

"That good?" he humors, but his voice is thick, his hands griping on her sides beneath her skirts. One snakes its way down to grip on her thigh and she lifts it, hooking her leg on his, making him sink even deeper inside her.

She hums, "Indescribable"

He starts to move, slowly at first, letting her get used to his size. He is not thoroughly long but is rather thick which Regina discovers to be the most marvelous thing, for the friction between them is almost maddening. He fills her to the brim and pulls back almost all the way in an unhurried motion that flares Regina's insides and makes her ache for more. Her nails dig in the flesh on his shoulder; her bottom lip trapped in between her teeth, her eyes squeezed shut, their moans and groans of pleasure mingling.

When Regina runs her nails down his chest, she notices a strangled noise erupts from him and he thrusts inside her a little harder, a little faster this time. Regina moans in agreement and manages to voice, "More, faster Robin"

He complies and starts moving in a steady wonderful pace. The deed is making Regina reach that wonderful haven he had taken her to with the fiddling of his fingers. In and out, his face buried on her neck on again, he kisses and kisses her there, sucks on the skin so much she knows he is bound to leave a mark. She does not care; she rather likes the prospect of having a love bite from such a man, a loveable man.

Sounds fly unbidden from her throat as Robin continues to pump in and out of her, her hips start meeting his movements as they move together towards ecstasy. Their mouths meet and muff a little the sounds their pleasure forces out of their mouths, their hands seeming to be everywhere, the desire rising more and more with every new-

"Regina?!" the voice she learned to dread on her wedding night spoke.

It takes Regina a little longer than Robin to realize that the voice she had heard was not in her head trying to sabotage this perfect moment but right there inside the tunnel being witness to it.

She opens her eyes and the first thing she sees the glint of his crown, then his hard unforgiving eyes, his mouth is a thin line, his arms crossed, he clutches her forgotten mask in one hand and her gloves in the other.

Regina's leg drops instantly from Robin's waist and he pulls from inside her quickly, tucking himself inside his pants but in doing so does not extinguish the nearness of their bodies. She is immobile otherwise, her back flat against the wall dread invading her body. She is absolutely petrified with fear of what might come to pass. Robin, on the other hand, turns his body so his back shelters her; he faces her powerful husband with no fear and no shirt on.

Leopold's gaze had not left Regina until this point, it was cold and deprived of any compassion, but now it lays on Robin, he narrows his eyes at the man and spits at him, "Get away from my wife you _scum_"

Robin's fists his hands hard still holding the King's gaze, "I'm afraid I cannot do that your majesty"

Leopold's eyes widen at his words and Regina rests a delicate hand on Robin's shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly. For even though logic tells her that in order to keep her head in place she should scorn the thief, side with her husband, she cannot, she will not. The realization that she would rather die than be parted from Robin, that she would gladly walk to the guillotine alongside him hits her like an arrow on her chest.

She whispers, "Robin-"

Leopold snaps his gaze back at her, "_Robin_, is it?" he sounds disgusted and angry, he takes one step towards the pair and Robin's frame gets rigid, "I should have known you would turn out to be a dirty _slut_ just like your mother."

Regina gasps at his harsh words and hides a tad further behind Robin, her heart hammers on her chest violently just at the thought of what the benevolent King might have in store for them.

"Do not talk to her like that," Robin says between gritted teeth.

"I can talk to her whichever way I desire, she is _mine_." Leopold retorts.

His words hit deep inside Regina, all of the times he has said those words, like a mantra, she has believed him, she has thought that was her fate. But now, Robin's reassurances invade her mind, her chest swells up with courage and determination and she steps out of the shadows.

She faces her husband for what it feels like the first time and says loud and clear, "I am no one's property" she can see from the corner of her eye a smirk work its way on Robin's lips when she finishes speaking, her soul burns with more confidence.

The King spits a laugh and takes yet another step towards the pair and Robin promptly positions himself in front of Regina again in order to shelter her.

"Did you learn to speak like that with your young friend, _wife_?" he mocks her, he brings his index finger to tap on his chin before continuing, a dangerous smile adorns his lips, "I was actually willing to forgive you wife. To seize this sorry excuse of a man and execute him in front of you so you would learn never to betray me again, so you would learn your place."

This time it is Robin's time to take a step closer to the King, Regina can feel his rage simmering from his skin, she reaches at his side in order to restrain him from doing something impulsive.

"But upon reflection I do not want a wife that has been stained by another," he spits on the floor near Robin's shoes, "Like mother like daughter" he humors and Regina truly does not understand.

"I'll have you both executed, that is-" he gives Regina a disgusting smile, "-after I punish you for betraying me, after I show you to whom you really belong before I have that prized head of yours on a platter, and make your little friend watch."

Suddenly Robin's frame does not shield hers anymore, he closes the distance between himself and the King and delivers a long overdue punch on the man's face. Leopold is not an athletic man by any means, a thrice Regina's age, so it does not come to any surprise to her when the blow knocks him off his feet and he falls in all fours on the cold stone floor.

Leopold groans, "You will pay dearly for this" but does not rise.

Robin quickly grabs his shirt from the floor and passes Regina by to inspect something outside of the big cave's entrance. Leaving Regina to stare down at the man who had made her feel so little, so unimportant in the shadow of his late wife, like she was never enough. She wants to kick him in the gut for everything he has made her go through. All the endless nights she spent alone in her chambers crying after he had left after his nocturnal visits. For a moment, _this_ moment, she can kill him; he is still on the floor, no guards or knights to protect his old worthless body.

She feels a sudden murderous edge prickle on her skin. She had been so hopeless in conjuring the fire spell Rumple had been teaching her. But now she feels the flame burn on her palm, the hatred she feels for her sorry excuse of a husband flares the spell and the fire grows. The old man still has his gaze fixed on the floor, his hand going to his now bloody nose.

Regina is about to make good on her lethal desires when Robin comes back as quickly as he went. He has got a big smile plastered on his face which quickly falters as he sees the flames burn on her palm. Regina's gaze is fixed on the King but she can see Robin's features from the corner of her eye, he frowns and ever so slowly places a soft hand on her shoulder.

"Regina," his tone is so soft, almost like a prayer, "He's not worth it"

"But you said it yourself he's not worth the air that he breathes" she answers back, the flames growing, "Why shouldn't he suffer as I have?"

"And I stand by what I said," he tells her, his hand sliding down to her raised elbow, coming dangerously close to the flame but he was quite clearly unafraid of it, "But it is worth it for you to stain your hands on his dirty blue blood."

She finally turns to face him, her lips are a thin line and she is trying very hard not to break down in tears. The flame dies and as soon as it does Robin takes the hand that had housed it in his and entwines their fingers together, he kisses her knuckles before letting it go. The King tries to rise but is unsuccessful, the blow must have hit quite hard.

"My men are just outside the gates," he tells her, "Regina-" he extends his hand towards her, just like he had done a few hours prior at the ball, and continues, "-come with me. I cannot promise you riches or comfort but I can guarantee I will do everything in my power to help you regain your freedom."

Regina's eyes are moist with tears. She is afraid this is a dream and she is to wake up any minute now, miserable and alone inside her luxurious bedchambers.

_Yes!_

_She would go with Robin, she would-_

Regina looks down at his arm to take his hand and her breathing stops; the whole world seems to come to a halt when her eyes meet the dark ink in form of a lion on his wrist.

She gasps and retreats her hand and takes a step back out of fear. Robin is her soulmate. The man she had run away from at the tavern not two months ago. This could not be, this had to be some sort of trick laid by Rumple or even that crazy fairy.

"Come to your senses, wife?" she hears Leopold behind her and turns to find he is very much still on the floor, but wears a triumphant smile.

"Regina?" she can hear Robin's voice plead behind her.

"If you come with me wife, I will let your lover boy live-" the bastard is enjoying this so much Regina feels she might vomit, "But if you go with him I will hunt both of you down and make you both sorry for the day you were born." He grins, "The choice is yours"

"Regina don't listen to him-" Robin tries to reason with her.

For a moment, she feels like time has stopped. She looks at her sorry excuse of a husband, a man who has shown her nothing but pain, a man that can hardly stand on his own feet. She then looks at the man with the lion tattoo, the man who asked for permission to do something so simple as to remove her mask.

She wanted to protect him, knew he was the leader of a band of men that set out to do good, to help the ones who needed it the most. Maybe she should give him a chance at living; she could not bear having his death on her hands. Regina would go with Leopold and save Robin's life, it was the right thing to do, she did not deserve-

"Regina," he snapped her out of her delirious thoughts, "-don't listen to him; I have my fair share in experience to running away from royals." His hand is still extended, his tattoo still screaming at her face, "Trust me, they would never catch us"

Regina meets his eyes and the tears that had been prickling in her eyes finally fall down her cheeks. She takes a big breath through her nose and takes a decisive step towards Robin finally taking his hand. He smiles his dazzling smile, it seems to be heightened now, had never shone so bright. Happiness, true happiness awaits them, she can feel it in her fingertips, feel it course through her veins as their fingers entwine with one another.

She does not look back, not for a moment, never wants to see Leopold's sorry face ever again, but she knew the man would haunt them until his very last breath. Danger and peril awaited for them but she did not care. As the cold night air hit her delicate skin when Robin led her quickly down the stairs at the side of the castle, Regina knew it, she could finally feel it.

She was free.


End file.
